


Where's Jackson? (By Any Other Name)

by tryslora



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Community: mating_games, Gen, Lacrosse, Shower Conversation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-01
Updated: 2013-05-01
Packaged: 2017-12-10 01:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/780308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryslora/pseuds/tryslora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles is surprised when he sees Jackson at spring tryouts for the lacrosse team during his freshman year of college... because Jackson's been missing for almost three years now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where's Jackson? (By Any Other Name)

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the bonus challenge #3 at MatingGames on Livejournal. Also, I was inspired by chatting with a friend about ideas involving Jackson and twins, and when I saw the sports prompt, this bubbled out. Someday I will return to this (likely after I finish "Haven't Forgotten My Way Home") and turn it into a proper long, weekly WiP.
> 
> As always, I do not own the world or characters of Teen Wolf; I just like to play with them.

“Dude, you will _not_ believe who I just ran into on the lacrosse field.” Stiles drops into the chair next to Lydia, hands raised against her inevitable glare, but she doesn’t deign to look up from the book she is reading over dinner.

“If you call me dude one more time, you can eat your meal alone,” she says sharply. “After all, you need me more for this test than I need you.”

“I’m acing biology.”

“I’m better than acing it.” Her smile is all sharp edges and glittering beauty when she looks up. “Now tell me, who is it that’s so important that you didn’t bother to _shower_ before your meal? You know I do not appreciate you dripping sweat on the table.”

“Jackson.”

The name drops like a brick between them, shattering Lydia’s hard beauty. “No.” She closes her book and neatly lines up her several colored pens before placing them in their case. “You did not see Jackson. Because that would imply that Jackson is here, and alive, which I assure you, if it _is_ Jackson, he will not be for long.”

She shakes when she stands, fingers white where they cradle her books. Her eyes are a bright green rimmed in red and Stiles starts to move towards her, stopping only when she steps away.

“Don’t.”

“Dude…”

She smiles faintly. “I am obviously failing to care for myself if you have decided that I am a _dude_ , Stiles.”

“It’s a term of endearment.” He hesitates. “Don’t go. Just… finish your dinner. Kick my ass by showing me I know nothing about plant cells and chlorophyll production. I promise, I’ll find out what’s going on at tryouts tomorrow.”

It takes a moment, but she sits. The plate is pushed away, meal forgotten, but they do study.

Stiles will do anything he has to in order to chase the shadows from her expression, even if it means killing Jackson himself.

#

They don’t get to talk on the field, but Stiles pays enough attention to see that Jackson’s going by a different name. He also seems to have plenty of friends; no surprise since it’s already spring semester and he can’t see Jackson living without people around him.

It’s not going to be easy to cull him away from them, and Stiles spends most of the tryout trying to think how to do it rather than paying attention to what he’s doing. It’s not his best attempt at the sport, but it’s not his worst either. At least no one runs over him or hits him in the head with a ball, and he manages not to trip over his own feet.

“Teej!”

Stiles glances up at the yell, head cocked.

“You coming?”

“Go on without me! I need to get a shower.”

That’s him. TJ Davis. Stiles quickly strips and tosses his things into a locker, slamming the door shut as he walks swiftly to the showers. Everyone else is gone, so this is his chance.

As if it’s not awkward as hell to confront someone when you’re both soapy and naked.

Stiles figures if he manages to get out of it without Jackson shoving him up against a wall, it’ll all be just fine.

He waits until Jackson’s back is turned, noting the ink he’s pretty sure Jackson didn’t have back in high school.  It’s a dragon, coiling down his right side, the tail ending over his hip bone.

His _hip bone_.

Crap. Stiles looks away quickly and scrubs his skin hard. He is _not_ looking at Jackson naked. Lydia would emasculate him for even _thinking_ about him like that. Not that he hasn’t before. Jackson’s gorgeous after all. But now? After Lydia’s done killing Jackson she’ll probably bury Stiles in the same grave.

He can’t destroy their friendship by popping a boner. Not now.

He doesn’t look up, but he decides to just say it. Clearly.

“Jackson.”

Not a word.

The water twists off, and Stiles turns to see him grabbing a towel and running it over his hair. He stares, because damn it, what is going on? “Jackson?” he tries again.

“Are you talking to me?” The guy looks over at him with a friendly grin. “Different president. I’m named after Jefferson, not Jackson. You were just trying out, weren’t you? I didn’t think you were half bad.”

“I can play better.” Stiles turns the water off and it takes a moment before he thinks to grab the towel, wrapping it around his waist. Jackson, no _not_!Jackson doesn’t seem to actually care that he’s still naked. “I played in high school.”

“So did I, in Mississippi.” There’s a hint of a drawl in his voice, as open and friendly as it is. “Four years, captain the last two. Figured I might as well go out for it here and see if I could keep on.”

“Mississippi,” Stiles echoes. “You… grew up in Mississippi?”

The grin grows wider. “Born and bred. Well, maybe not born, but I don’t know the details of that since my birth folks gave me up and all. But the folks who raised me lived there on a small farm. I’m missing them every damned day that I’m here. Looking forward to getting home for the summer.”

He’s not lying. Stiles may not be a werewolf, and he doesn’t have super hearing to check his heartbeat, but that face couldn’t possibly be lying.

This isn’t Jackson.

“I’m Stiles Stilinski.” He pushes his hand out, ignoring the awkwardness of shaking hands in the shower.

“TJ Davis,” TJ replies. “Look, it’s nice to meet you and all, but I’ve got to get something in my stomach before I fall over. Lacrosse takes it out of me.”

“I’m having dinner with a friend,” Stiles blurts out, knowing Lydia’s going to kill him all over again for this. “You should join us.”

“Yeah?” TJ considers it for a minute, then nods. “Sure, I will. We can talk strategy, see if we can get you back on your game for the next round of tryouts tomorrow.”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Stiles sits on the bench in the locker room, his phone in his hand. He can hear TJ moving around and he has to text quickly, thumbs sliding across the screen.

_It’s not Jackson. His name’s TJ Davis, and he grew up in Mississippi. He’s adopted._

He presses send, then starts a new message.

_I’ll call Danny tonight, see what he can find out. I’m bringing TJ to dinner._

His phone pings as the next text appears from Lydia.

_So Jackson’s still missing?_

Stiles sighs as he texts back a simple yes.

Jackson’s still missing, same as he has been since the summer after their sophomore year. But this guy looks enough like him to be his twin, and Stiles can’t help it… he thinks the two must be linked somehow. Lacrosse, dinner… if they can keep him close, maybe they can figure it out. Maybe they can find Jackson.


End file.
